Top 10 Middletown Stories Of 2021
MIDDLETOWN, NJ — As 2022 officially begins, we thought it'd be a good idea to round up top 10 Middletown news stories of 2021.
These are stories chosen because they generated the most page views, attracted the most "spirited" public debate or discussion, or had a profound impact on peoples' lives:
Off-Duty Union Beach Cop Saves Woman In Middletown Fire (January 2021): This happened in North Middletown on a weekday morning in the dead of winter, when an off-duty police officer ran into a smoke-filled garage and rescued an elderly woman trapped insider her burning home. The woman could not walk without her walker and was alone in the house. The man said he only rushed inside when he saw a wheelchair in the open garage and wanted to check the burning home for occupants. Firefighters later said she never would have made it out of the home if he had not rushed in. A beautiful story that started off the year on a positive note, and shows the power of community, bravery and thinking about others.
School Reopening Rally Planned For Sunday In A Divided Middletown (January 2021): The decision to reopen Middletown schools — or keep virtual learning in place — was a heated battle last winter.
Holmdel Board Member Calls Into Middletown BOE: Get Kids In Class: The battle only got spicier when a Holmdel school board member called into the Middletown school board meeting one January night, telling them his district had been open for weeks — "It's going great; it's going fantastic" — and told Middletown they should do the same. BOE member Terrence Wall was alternately heaped with praise from Middletown residents — or told to seriously mind his own business.
Monmouth Co. Girl, 9, Confesses To Virtual Class She's Starving (Feb. 2021): This heartbreaking story, which Patch was first to report nationwide and went on to be covered by CNN and the NY Post, was read by more than 200,000 people worldwide.
This story revealed the unintended consequences of COVID lockdowns: This third grader's mother had lost her multiple jobs when New Jersey restaurants closed and because schools were all virtual, her mother did not know she could still pick up the free breakfasts and lunches her daughter qualified for. The girl could not concentrate during a Zoom class and when her teacher told her to pay attention, the girl broke down crying saying she could not concentrate because she was so hungry.
Luxury Fitness Complex Life Time Coming To Middletown (March 2021): This luxury gym brand plans to open this three-story fitness and wellness complex on Half Mile Road in Middletown, just off Exit 109.
Major Middletown Parks/Playground Improvements Are Coming (April 2021): Tindall Park is getting a dog park and Bodman, Chanceville and Countryside playgrounds are all getting new playground equipment.
Middletown Students Join Anti-Mask Lawsuit In NJ Schools (July 2021): Two Middletown High School students, both at South, joined a class-action lawsuit suing Gov. Murphy for his school mask mandate. However, the lawsuit was dismissed by multiple judges and did not advance very far in the New Jersey court system.
Murphy: We 'Will Take Action' Against Parents' Notes On Masks (August 2021): Who could forget when the Middletown school board tried to pass a policy that would allow student or parental notes to exempt a child from mask wearing? When Murphy caught wind of what was happening in his own backyard, he said "not so fast" and threatened to sue the Middletown school district if they followed through. Some in Middletown begged the school district to hold its ground and engage in a legal battle with the man some call "King Murphy," but the BOE ultimately backed down and followed Murphy's Law.
Middletown Twp. Committee Candidate Has A Criminal Record (Oct. 2021): Patch again unearthed a hidden bit of information, when we were the first to report that a candidate running for Middletown Twp. Committee had prior criminal charges of forgery and theft. Democrat Nick Babcock never admitted to the charges from more than a decade ago. He remained in the race, but did not win a public seat.
Middletown To Get $6.6 Million Under 2nd COVID Relief Bill: Middletown, like all towns in America, got a nice big chunk of cash from the federal gov't from the $1.9 trillion second COVID relief bill, signed into law by President Joe Biden. "We'll take the money. If we don't take it, it will go to some other town that will spend it," said the area's state Senator Declan O'Scanlon, (R-NJ13). "But this is like a wildly irresponsible Christmas gift. Democrats in Washington dancing around like they're giving us a gift is really outrageous, because in reality they are taking from our children's and grandchildren's bank accounts and making us think they are doing us a favor. Nobody is talking about fiscal responsibility and the public doesn't want to hear it." Patch still has to find out how Middletown Twp. will spend the money. More playground improvements?
Other big news of 2021:
Marijuana Is Now Officially Legal In New Jersey (Feb. 2021): Not Middletown specific news, but still extremely big news that happened in New Jersey in 2021. Gov. Murphy made small-amount marijuana possession legal after a majority New Jersey voters (more than 70 percent) voted to legalize marijuana in the Nov. 2020 election. Middletown passed a controversial ban on recreational pot shops opening up within
Gov. Murphy Clarifies His Stance On NJ COVID 'Vaccine Passports' (March 2021): Again, not a Middletown-specific story, but a hot-button topic in 2021. Gov. Murphy initially said he liked the idea, something that New York and other states have carried out, but then backed off the idea after immense public backlash from New Jersey voters.
Sandy Hook Raises Daily Parking Fee To $20; Season Pass To $100 (April 2021): Just news that pissed a lot of people off.
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This article originally appeared on the Middletown Patch
